Machine for bending or curving metal.



N0. 660,505. Patented 0ct. 23r |900.

N. mason. MACHINE FUR BENDING 0R CURVING METAL.

(Application led June 27, 1.900.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB N. GIBSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHIN FIOR BENDING OR CURVING METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 660,505, dated October23, 1900.

Application filed June 27, 1900. Serial No. 21,730. iNo model.)

To all whom t may con/cern,.-

Beit known that I, JACOB N. GIBSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Bending orCurviug Metal, of which the following is a specification.

It is desirable and necessary in many cases and for many purposes toemploy metal rods or tubes having curves or bends therein, and it isimportant that the bends or curves should be similar for rods or tubeswhich are duplicates one of the other and used alike or for the samepurpose. It is exceedingly dificult to bend rods or tubes uniformly andso that each rod or tube will correspond as to the bend or curve. Thisis particularly true of irregular curves or bends, so that where it isrequisite to have two parts or pieces with the same conformation as tocurves or bends it requires time and skill to do the work by hand, andeven when partly done by machinery there is no certainty that thebending or curving will be uniform and alike in any two pieces.

The object of this invention is to construct a machine which will besimple in operation and reliable and edective in the productionV of rodsor tubes having bends or curves in every respect alike or similar; andthe invention consists in the features of construction and combinationof parts hereinafter described, and pointed ou't in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating the invention in one form of construction,Figure l is a top or plan view with one section or division of the dieor former removed, and Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 2 of Fig. llooking in the direction of the arrow.

The mechanism or machine for carrying out my invention consists of anupper head or plate A and a lower head or plate B, each made of steel,cast-iron, or other suitable material and of the requisite dimensionsand thickness for the work to be done by or on the machine. The plate orhead A has in its body a circular slot a, somewhat eccentric or carriedout of a true circle at one end, and the head or plate B has acorresponding and coinciding slot b, also deliected or carried out of atrue circle at the same end as the slot a. The deflection or carryingout of atrue circle for both slots is at the initial or starting end ofeach. The plate B, which is the under plate in the construction andarrangement shown, has a side extension or continuation B, provided withholes for the passage of bolts b', by means of which the machine as awhole is attached to a support of suitable construction. Each head orplate has on its inner face one half or section of a die or former C,having a periphery conforming to the curvature of the slots o. and b,and the two halves or sections when the heads or plates are face to faceconstitute a complete die or former of the required curvature 011 theperiphery and divided so as to be separable one from the other. Eachhalf or section has in its outer inner corner a groove, which when thetwo sections or halves are together form a semicircular groove or recessc in the wall or peripheral face of the die or former as a whole, thediameter of which groove corresponds with the exterior diameter of therod or tube which is to be curved or bent. As shown, the halves orsections of the die or former are made integral with the heads orplates; but they could be made separate and attached to the heads orplates in any suitable manner, and, if desired,the heads or plates couldbe formed with a central recess adapted to receive a central neck orstud on the sections or halves, thereby enabling the heads or plates toreceive dies or formers of different curvatures. As shown, the sectionsor halves are secured together by means of lag-bolts c; but they couldbe secured together in any other suitable manner.

A roller D, having in its peripheral or exterior face a semicirculargroove d, corresponding in size to the groove c in the die or former, islocated between the heads or plates adjacent to the die or former and soarranged that the two grooves c and d form a complete circle of adiameter corresponding to the eX- terior diameter of the rods` or tubeto be curved or bent.

side its journal or spindle D', which extends through the curved slots`a and b of the respective plates A and B, as shown in Fig. 2, and sothat the journal or shaft of the roller The roller D has on each v willtravel around in the curved slots and cause the roller to travelcoincident; with the peripheral face or wall of the die or former.

A leverE, having a forked head E' to straddle the heads or plates, ispivotally mounted on the heads or plates by a pin or pivot F, and, asshown, the pin or pivot passes through the heads or plates. The pin orpivot is provided with a key f for holding it in place, so as to. bereadily detached by `driving out the key and readily attached by drivingin the key, and, as shown, between the key and the face of one arm ofthe fork or yoke is a washer f to reduce friction. Each arm of `the forkor yoke of the head has a longitudinal slot e, into which projects theend of the journal or shaft of the roller D, as shown in FigA 2, so thatby swinging the lever on its pin or pivot the roller will be carriedthereby around the die or former. The lever is detachably mounted on theheads or plates' so as to be removable and permit the two heads orplates to be separated when the lever is detached.

The rod or tube G, which is to have its end curved or bent, is passedthrough a socket or clamp g on the head or plate B in the arrangementshown, which socket or clamp is arranged so as to be in a straight linewith the initial or starting end of the curved grooves a and b and inline with the groove formed by the two semicircular grooves c and d ofthe die or former and the bending or curving roller. Thelower plate Bisattached by its extension B and the bolts b' to a bench or support H, soas to leave the lever with a clear space for the movements thereof in acircle around the die or former.

The operation will be understood from the foregoing description, butbriefly is as follows: The two halves or sections of the die or formerare brought together and secured in place by the bolts c', with thegrooved forming-roller between the heads or plates for its groove d toaline with the groove c of the die or former. The lever is thenpivotally mounted 4on the heads or plates by its pin or pivot for itsfork or yoke to straddle the heads or plates, when thejournal or shaftof the bending or curving roller can be passed through the slots of thelever and the curved slots of the heads or plates for its ends toproject into the slots of the lever, assembling the parts ready for use.The rod or tube which is to have its end curved or bent is forcedthrough the socket or clamp g for the end thereof to project therequired length to form the desired curve or bend, and when insertingthe rod or tube the roller CZ is to be at the point of initial start, asshown in Fig. l. The lever E is then operated to carry the roller aroundthe die or former by the guide furnished from the curved slots, and insuch travel the end of the tube will be curved or bent around the die orformer into the desired shape. After the curve or bend has been made thelever can be returned to its normal position and the two sections orhalves the journal or shaft of the roller travels, and

the slots in the head of the lever permit of the necessary lost motionduring the swing ing movement for the roller to travel around the die orformer without creating excessive friction or any binding eect thatwould ina terfere with its operation.

The machine as a whole is very simple'and is reliable and effective inoperation, as the line of travel of the roller is controlled by thecurved slots in which its' journal -or shaft passes, and as these slotsconform to the shape of the die or former the result will be a curvingor bending of the end of the rod or tube into the shape of theperipheral wall or face of the die or former, and this shape will be thesame no matter how many rods or tubes are curved or bent, as the curvingor bending is around the same die or former and under the sameconditions in every case. 'lhe parts are readily assembled and easilytaken apart after each operation, as with the removal of thefastening-bolts for the heads or plates and the removal of the pin orpivot for the lever and the journal or shaft for the roller the levercan be slipped off fromthe plates or heads, leaving the plates free Atobe separated one from the other for the removal of the formed rod ortube.

I claiml. In a machine for curving or bending metal, the combination oftwo companion heads or plates each having in its body a curved slot, asection or half of a die or former on each head or plate each section orhalf having a peripheral face or wall of a curvature conforming tothecurvature of the slots in the heads or plates, a forming-rollertraveling around the peripheral face or wall of the die or former andhaving its journal or shaft ends projected linto the slots of the headsor plates and means for forcing the roller to travel around theperipheral face or wall of the die or formerand guided in its travel bythe curved slots of the heads or plates and its journal or shaft,substantially as described.

2. In a machine for curving or bending metal rods or tubes, thecombination of two companion heads or plates each having in -its body acurved slot, a section or half of a die or former on each head or plate,each section or half having a peripheral face or wall conforming to thecurvature of the slots in the IOO TIO

heads or plates and each section or half having in its peripheral cornera groove or recess, the two grooves or recesses forming a semicirculargroove of a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the rod or tube, aformingroller traveling around the peripheral face or Wall of the die orformer having its journal or shaft ends Aprojected into the slots of theheads or plates and having in its body a semicircular groove or recesscorresponding to and coinciding With the semicircular groove or recessof the die or former, and means for forcing the roller to travel aroundthe peripheral face or Wall of the die or former and guided in itstravel by the curved slots of the heads or plates and its journal orshaft, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for curving or bending metal rods or tubes, thecombination of two companion heads or plates each having in its body acurved slot With its initial or starting end outwardly deflected, asection or half of a die or former on each head or plate, each sectionor half having a peripheral face or Wall conforming to the curvature ofthe slots in the heads or plates with its initial or starting end inalinement with the outwardly-deflected ends of the slots and eachsection or half having in its peripheral corner a groove or recess, thetwo grooves or recesses forming a semicircular groove or recess of ad-iameter corresponding to the diameter of the rod or tube, aforming-roller traveling around the peripheral face or Wall of the dieor former and having its journal or shaft ends projected into the slotsof the heads or plates and having in its body a semicircular groove orrecess corresponding torand coinciding with the semicircular grooves orrecesses of the die or former and a lever engaging the projected ends ofthe roller journal or shaft for forcing the roller to travel around theperipheral face or Wall of the die or former and guided in its travel bythe curved slots of the heads or plates and its journal or shaft,substantially as described.

4. In a machine for curving or bending metal rods or tubes, thecombination of two companion heads or plates each having in its body acurved slot with its initial or starting end outwardly deflected, asection or half of a die or former on each head or plate, each sectionor half:` having a peripheral face or wall conforming to thecurvature ofthe slots of the heads or plates With its initial or starting end inalineulent with the outwardly-deliected ends of the slots and eachsection or half having in its peripheral corner a groove or recess, thetwo grooves or recesses forming a semicircular groove or recess of adiameter corresponding to the diameter of the rod or tube, aforming-roller traveling around the peripheral face or Wall of the dieor former and having its journal or shaft ends projected into the slotsof the heads or plates and having in its body a semicircular groove orrecess corresponding to and coinciding with the semicircular groove ofthe die or former and a lever pivotally mounted on the heads or platesand having in its head longitudinal slots receiving the projected endsof the roller journal or shaft for the movements of the lever to forcethe roller around the peripheral face or Wall of the die or former andguided in its travel by the curved slots of the heads or plates and itsjournal or shaft, substantially as, described. L

5. In a machine for curving or bending metal rods or tubes, thecombination of two companion heads or plates each having in its body acurved slot with its initial or starting end outwardly deflected, asection or half of a die or former on each head or plate, each sectionor half having a peripheral face or Wall conforming to the curvature ofthe slots of the heads or plates with its initial or starting end inalinement with the outwardly-deflected ends of the slots and eachsection or half having in its peripheral corner a groove or recess, thetwo grooves or recesses forming a semicircular groove or recess of adiameter corresponding to the diameter of the rod or tube, aforming-roller traveling around the peripheral face or Wall of the dieor former and having its journal or shaft ends projected into the slotsof heads or plates and having in its body a semicircular groove orrecess corresponding to and coinciding With the semicircular grooves orrecesses of the die or former, a lever pivotally mounted on the heads orplates and having in its head longitudinal slots receiving the projectedends of the roller journalor shaft for the movements of the lever toforce the roller around the peripheral face or wall of the die or formerand guided in its travel by the curved slots of the heads or plates andits journal or shaft, and a guide on one head or plate in line with theoutwardly-deflected ends of the curved slots for entering and guidingthe end ofA the rod or tube into position for bending or curving,substantially as described.

JACOB N. GIBSON. Witnesses:

THOMAS B. MOGREGOR, BELLE W. BARRY.

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